


pride goes before a fall

by JPuzzle



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Clarke is learning, Crack, Diverges prior to 307, F/F, Lexa's teaching Clarke things, Titus has had a long day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-10
Updated: 2016-04-10
Packaged: 2018-06-01 13:06:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6520957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JPuzzle/pseuds/JPuzzle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Titus has had a long day. Clarke is about to make it a longer one. Lexa just wants to teach Clarke valuable life skills.</p>
            </blockquote>





	pride goes before a fall

**Author's Note:**

  * For [popper](https://archiveofourown.org/users/popper/gifts).



> Don't own it, don't want to. But fuck off, Jason. 
> 
> Eternal thanks and mad props to popper for the prompt and for checking this over. Legend among women, may you never be a parrot. <3

It’s been a long day, Titus has spent his time trying to circumvent _Wanheda’s_ influence on _Heda_ and he’s getting tired of it. It’s reminiscent of the mess with that Costia girl and Lexa still hasn’t learned. Love is weakness. He is thoroughly disappointed in her. She is a revolutionary and she’s throwing everything she's achieved away for a manipulative _girl_. Still, he’s been summoned to the throne room and it is his duty to obey. He stops short at the door as snatches of a conversation reaches his ears.

“...yes, like that, you need to be non-threatening...th..your invitation. They..ve to trust you…”

“I..don’t..nk..’s..going..trust me.”

“..need to make sure that you angle..body. No, like  _ this. _ Don’t look at me like that. The..m..is to kick out without pul..ng...muscle.”

Titus runs a hand over his face in exhaustion. He had thought this meeting was solely between Lexa and himself. He’d looked forward to lecturing her on the finer points of “Love is Weakness.” Apparently, he isn’t even going to get that today. The girl is in there and she’s probably filling Lexa’s mind with fanciful notions of how _Jus Drein nou_ _Jus Daun_ was the best idea ever conceived by a _Heda._

He snorts, pulls himself together, knocks on the door and enters.

_ Heda _ is lounging on her throne and the  _ girl _ is standing to her left.

Titus grimaces internally. That’s  _ his _ place. Who does she think she is?

“Titus.” 

The sound of  _ Heda’s _ voice jerks him back to reality. He relaxes his features into neutrality and nods respectfully. 

“Clarke wishes to speak to you about your recent behaviour.”

_ His recent behaviour. _

_ Wanheda was the one making the situation untenable. _

“Heda with all due respec-”

She cuts him off with a lazy wave of her fingers. His jaw clicks shut. 

_ This is Wanheda’s influence. _

_ "Em pleni, _ Titus. As I was saying, Clarke wishes to speak to you.”

His eyes flick to  _ the girl _ and notes that she's smiling.

Smiling. At. Him.

He feels suspicion coil tightly in his stomach.  _ She's planning something. _

"If it would make you more comfortable, maybe we could talk out on the balcony where Lexa can't hear?”

On the balcony. The balcony that Polis’ citizens call the _ murder window. _

The idea has merit. He could kick her off and no one would be the wiser. She's a nuisance. Titus doubts that she has the physical strength to stop him. Yes, his plan will work. 

Titus returns her smile and they smile at each other for a long moment - their lips curled up and fixed in a rictus.  _ Heda  _ clears her throat and raises her eyebrows at  _ Wanheda. _

_ The girl _ shifts awkwardly from side to side and then gestures hesitantly to him.

“After you.”

This is good, he can be in prime position on the balcony. He can kick her off without  _ Heda  _ seeing. He'll call it an accident and smile later. If he pulls this off, he'll be whistling down the corridors of the tower for days.

He moves out onto the balcony and feels a slight breeze against his bare scalp. The view has always been stunning.

After a moment, he turns. The girl didn't follow him. Why isn't she following him out? He sees her hovering near the doorway.

_ "Heda  _ said that you wished to talk about my recent behaviour?”

_ Wanheda  _ shifts again and clears her throat.

“I saw you speaking to one of the guards. You told him to spit in my food before delivering it. You also told him to disappear next week so that you could  _ talk _ to me alone.”

Titus pales, she was not supposed to hear that. He'd found it hilarious at the time, spit in her food and she'd never know. But the last bit?  _ She wasn't supposed to know.  _ That was secret. He'd gotten the gun and everything. Titus wonders if this is what it feels like to have your plans crumble to dust.

He needs to reassure her that she'd misheard. Surely she'd believe that. He moves in front of her, his hands raised in supplication. 

"I assure you,  _ Wanheda, _ whatever you think you may have heard has been misconstrued.”

She tilts her head and her expression hardens.  Before Titus realises the mistake he's made, he feels the boot connect with his stomach and the lack of a solid surface under his feet. 

He feels relief, it'll be someone else's job to deal with  _ Wanheda  _ now. 

It's the last coherent thought he has before the pavement rushes up to greet him.

***

Clarke tilts her head and looks down. 

“You're right, you can pull a muscle. I felt something twinge when I kicked him.”

She feels Lexa behind her, nodding gravely.

“Your execution was sloppy and you smiled too much but overall, you performed well for a beginner.”

Clarke turns and smiles, pressing an affectionate kiss to Lexa's cheek.

“Thank you, he would've killed me. Are you going to fire that guard?”

Lexa grins at her. It's a feral kind of grin and Clarke feels her heart swell.

“He's waiting outside. Would you like to try again, Clarke?”  


**Author's Note:**

> If you have any constructive criticism or want to talk about these two idiots, I'm over on tumblr under jixorpuzzle. :)
> 
> Thanks for reading.


End file.
